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Planted AquariumsTue, 18 Apr 2017 22:34:27 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.7.5Science & Medicine/Natural SciencesnoPlanted Aquariumshttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/Ecotech Marine Freshwater Radion Gen4http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Guitarfish/~3/0XkioAoirLU/ecotech-marine-freshwater-radion-gen4
http://www.guitarfish.org/2017/04/18/ecotech-marine-freshwater-radion-gen4#commentsTue, 18 Apr 2017 22:34:27 +0000http://www.guitarfish.org/?p=1644About three years ago, I reviewed Ecotech Marine&#8217;s second generation Radion Pro light, and while I loved the configurability of the fixture, I felt the colors were not optimum for planted aquariums and the lens cast too many shadows. Two generations later, Ecotech has resolved both of those issues and has produced one of the [...]About three years ago, I reviewed Ecotech Marine’s second generation Radion Pro light, and while I loved the configurability of the fixture, I felt the colors were not optimum for planted aquariums and the lens cast too many shadows. Two generations later, Ecotech has resolved both of those issues and has produced one of the most complete lighting systems on the market.

I received three items from the company for this review. A pre-release version of their XR30W light with the freshwater components installed instead of their normal reef configuration. The result is that this fixture is roughly twice as powerful as the XR15FW light that just hit the market. The Reeflink acts as a bridge to your home network so that you can control the light from their EcoSmart webpage or mobile app. The RMS Mounting System is a very nice mount that mounts on the rim of your aquarium.

Immediately out of the box, the unit looks an awful lot like the generation 2 light I reviewed three years ago. They replaced the touch-based buttons with more resilent physical buttons. More importantly, they have upgraded their lenses from the TIR lens to the new HEI (Hemispherical Edge Illumination) lens, which does a vastly better job at mixing the various LED colors and distributing the light evenly throughout the tank. I was dubious when I first read about these lenses, but after experiencing them in person, I can vouch that these new lights have far less shadows and a better PAR distribution that the previous version.

Speaking of PAR, the readings at full power are off the charts! The light is mounted on a 24″x18″x18″ rimless aquarium which puts the light roughly 22″ from substrate. Measuring at that level reads an astounding 351 PAR! As mentioned, this light is roughly twice as powerful as the XR15FW, but the expected 175 PAR that fixture would deliver is still way more than you need. And measuring the power consumption, my unit maxes out around 185 watts, but the XR15FW is half of that at 95 watts at full power. However, the power consumption is based on your output. Hooking mine up to a power meter, it estimates that my yearly electricity costs would be less than $20.

I’ve been running the light since late January, and am just as impressed now as when I set it up initially. Rather than trying to use this on a typical Nature Aquarium Style aquascape that’s mostly green plants, I decided to setup more of a jungle-style aquarium that has plants of various colors to see how they look under the Radion unit.

As you can see above, the greens are very bright and not washed out or too yellow. The red of the Alternanthera is quite brillant, but also the most subtle orange of Rotala rotunifolia is well represented. And of course, as has been the case with all Radion units, you have complete control over the color using the web or mobile applications.

In the fourth generation, Ecotech Marine finally got the message that the old units had way too many blue LEDs. Now, the lights house mostly white LEDs, plus 4 Red, 2 Green, and 2 Blue LEDs, you don’t have to sacrifice PAR to achieve slight variations of the daylight spectrum we prefer in our freshwater planted aquariums.

Using their Ecosmart Live software, I configured a full-day schedule that begins to ramp up around 8am and shuts downs at 10pm at night. Normally this would be way too long of a schedule, but the flexibility of this system allowed me to configure very low light in the morning, and a low-light moonlight for much of the evening. I also varied the color spectrum to be more yellow in the morning, and more reds/blues in the evening to better simulate sunrise and sunset coloration and intensity. This creates a very natural lighting scheme and extends the period of time I’m able to enjoy this aquarium with the lights on.

In conclusion, the fourth generation Ecotech Marine Radion is one of the top lights on the market. With the enhanced HEI lenses and improved color configuration, combined with the already impressive EcoSmart Live, the XR15FW Radion is a high-output LED light without any real downside to note. The PAR can be set as high or low as needed for any planted aquarium, multiple lights can be combined for a stronger or more comprehensive setup, and the overall performance is impressive. The XR15FW is currently selling for ~$350, which covers a 36″x36″ footprint, making it pretty economical for the coverage and features. In short, anyone looking for a high-end light for their planted aquarium should look no further than the Ecotech Marine Radion XR15FW G4 LED light fixture.

]]>http://www.guitarfish.org/2017/04/18/ecotech-marine-freshwater-radion-gen4/feed4http://www.guitarfish.org/2017/04/18/ecotech-marine-freshwater-radion-gen433G Aquavas Aquascapehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Guitarfish/~3/7BYHsfS-I-4/33g-aquavas-aquascape
http://www.guitarfish.org/2016/11/22/33g-aquavas-aquascape#respondWed, 23 Nov 2016 00:32:25 +0000http://www.guitarfish.org/?p=1640Here&#8217;s an updated shot of my recently rescaped Aquavas aquarium. This tank is the only tank that&#8217;s showcased in my home, in our living room, while the rest of them are consolidated in my fishroom. The goal of this aquascape is to prominent feature something of a twisted old tree, while keeping the rest of [...]Here’s an updated shot of my recently rescaped Aquavas aquarium. This tank is the only tank that’s showcased in my home, in our living room, while the rest of them are consolidated in my fishroom.

The goal of this aquascape is to prominent feature something of a twisted old tree, while keeping the rest of the scape fairly minimalist. I had previous done sand foregrounds in this tank, so I wanted to change it up with an Eleocharis ‘Mini’ foreground this time around.

You can see above how the hardscape and planting came together. I try to plant as densely as possible to help the scape mature more quickly. I also had the luxory of wood that was reused from a previous scape and already had lots of moss and Anubias ‘petite’ attached to it.

Finally, above is what the scape looked like a day after planting. You can see that it’s already maturing a bit in a week or so by comparing to the first picture. Comments/critique welcome!

]]>http://www.guitarfish.org/2016/11/22/33g-aquavas-aquascape/feed0http://www.guitarfish.org/2016/11/22/33g-aquavas-aquascapeNew Aquascape in Aquavas Tankhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Guitarfish/~3/oH0mqyFPfqs/new-aquascape-in-aquavas-tank
http://www.guitarfish.org/2016/01/26/new-aquascape-in-aquavas-tank#respondTue, 26 Jan 2016 21:13:22 +0000http://www.guitarfish.org/?p=1634During my winter break I rescaped my Aquavas aquarium that previously been setup for over a year. Below is the new scape, utilizing lots of spiderwood and dragonstone. It&#8217;s a pretty simple scape in terms of plants, using mostly weeping moss, Anubias barteri var. nana, Hygrophila corymbosa &#8216;Angustifolia&#8217;, and some crypts. The old scape used [...]During my winter break I rescaped my Aquavas aquarium that previously been setup for over a year. Below is the new scape, utilizing lots of spiderwood and dragonstone. It’s a pretty simple scape in terms of plants, using mostly weeping moss, Anubias barteri var. nana, Hygrophila corymbosa ‘Angustifolia’, and some crypts.

The old scape used pretty much the same plants, but had become very overgrown with moss and I was ready for a change.

The biggest challenge in the new scape is the darker area created under the branches. I like the intrigue that this area creates, but it definitely makes it more difficult to photograph. The fish, just a few cardinal tetras, usually like to hang out there, however. I still need the Hygrophila to grow in more in the back left and perhaps get a bit more moss established on the wood. Comments/critiques welcome!

]]>http://www.guitarfish.org/2016/01/26/new-aquascape-in-aquavas-tank/feed0http://www.guitarfish.org/2016/01/26/new-aquascape-in-aquavas-tank120G Aquascapehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Guitarfish/~3/CBhEUDfJglI/120g-aquascape
http://www.guitarfish.org/2015/12/10/120g-aquascape#respondFri, 11 Dec 2015 00:46:24 +0000http://www.guitarfish.org/?p=1628My 120G aquascape is growing in nicely! The wood has finally sunked after a couple of months, and the mounds are filling in the gaps between the various pieces of Rosewood. I&#8217;m happy with the jungle effect in this tank, with most of the species of plants intermixed throughout each other. I will need to [...]My 120G aquascape is growing in nicely! The wood has finally sunked after a couple of months, and the mounds are filling in the gaps between the various pieces of Rosewood. I’m happy with the jungle effect in this tank, with most of the species of plants intermixed throughout each other. I will need to be diligent to keep the Hygrophila pinnatifida from throwing out runners that consume everything, however.

The Stuarogyne ‘Bihar’ is another plant that could easily take over the scape. I may pull it out, anyways, opting for more Ludwigia ‘Cuba,’ but I haven’t fully made that decision yet. Comments/critiques welcome!

]]>http://www.guitarfish.org/2015/12/10/120g-aquascape/feed0http://www.guitarfish.org/2015/12/10/120g-aquascapeSwallow Falls State Parkhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Guitarfish/~3/WroGzSA0rxQ/swallow-falls-state-park
http://www.guitarfish.org/2015/11/18/swallow-falls-state-park#respondWed, 18 Nov 2015 21:49:17 +0000http://www.guitarfish.org/?p=1625Over the weekend, we visited Swallow Falls State Park in Garrett County Maryland. The park features a wonderful 1.5 mile trail that follows along the Youghiogheny River and Muddy Creek, which are two beautiful white water waterways. It is also one of the few old growth hemlock forests in the area. Swallow Falls itself is [...]Over the weekend, we visited Swallow Falls State Park in Garrett County Maryland. The park features a wonderful 1.5 mile trail that follows along the Youghiogheny River and Muddy Creek, which are two beautiful white water waterways. It is also one of the few old growth hemlock forests in the area.

Swallow Falls itself is actually not a huge waterfall. Seen above, it’s a still beautiful, but the rock formation to the right is really the more impressive feature.

This rock formation reminds me of the sea stacks on the west coast of the U.S. Seen below, it really does stand alone will years of geologic layers of earth and rock visible.

These layers are actually present throughout the park, where huge rocks are haphazardly stack upon one another in layers that resemble many stone walls (or cichlid walls for fish fans) that people put together.

From the top of the falls, there are good views of the river downstream.

The trial has beautiful vistas of forest and rock away from the river as well, featuring ferns and moss under the hemlock canopy. Like the sea stack, this reminds me of the Olympic National Forest in Washington, just with less moss and ferns due to vast differences in annual rainfall.

Finally, despite the name of the park featuring Swallow Falls, the largest waterfall in the park (and in Maryland) is on the same trail just upstream from where Muddy Creek and the Youghiogheny River meet. Muddy Falls is impressive, falling 53 feet to a deep lagoon, surrounded by the same massive rock walls.

I’d recommend this park highly. It’s not a severely technical or long trail, but there is a lot of beauty and exploration to be had in a small area. Muddy Creek is also handicap accessible via a wooden boardwalk and scenic overlook down on the falls.

]]>http://www.guitarfish.org/2015/11/18/swallow-falls-state-park/feed0http://www.guitarfish.org/2015/11/18/swallow-falls-state-parkRachel O’Leary Visits My Fishroomhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Guitarfish/~3/G2dHBoDkiQs/rachel-oleary-visits-my-fishroom
http://www.guitarfish.org/2015/10/29/rachel-oleary-visits-my-fishroom#respondThu, 29 Oct 2015 18:41:25 +0000http://www.guitarfish.org/?p=1622Rachel O&#8217;Leary of Invertebrates by MsJinkzd spoke at the GWAPA meeting I hosted this weekend. She put together a nice tour of my fishroom for her popular Youtube channel.Rachel O’Leary of Invertebrates by MsJinkzd spoke at the GWAPA meeting I hosted this weekend. She put together a nice tour of my fishroom for her popular Youtube channel.

]]>http://www.guitarfish.org/2015/10/29/rachel-oleary-visits-my-fishroom/feed0http://www.guitarfish.org/2015/10/29/rachel-oleary-visits-my-fishroomIt’s a About Perspective…http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Guitarfish/~3/PxpWBqmjkJY/its-a-about-perspective
http://www.guitarfish.org/2015/09/09/its-a-about-perspective#commentsWed, 09 Sep 2015 04:43:24 +0000http://www.guitarfish.org/?p=1619I did a photoshoot of my 33g this weekend. Normally, I pull out my go-to 24-70mm lens for the majority of my shots, but unfortunately, this weekend that lens was in the shop, necessitating that I experiment with some other options. In doing so, I was amazed at how the exact same aquascape can look [...]I did a photoshoot of my 33g this weekend. Normally, I pull out my go-to 24-70mm lens for the majority of my shots, but unfortunately, this weekend that lens was in the shop, necessitating that I experiment with some other options. In doing so, I was amazed at how the exact same aquascape can look radically different based on the focal length of the lens used to shoot it.

33G Aquascape – Photographed with 11mm lens

Take the first shot above as an example. This was start with a super wide-angle lens at just 11mm. Of all of the shots, I love how dramatic it makes the hill look, with so much depth it’s amazing. However, if you submitted this to an aquascaping contest, you’d likely get points knocked off for too much distortion. Just look at the silicon line on the back left — it’s not even remotely a straight line like it should be.

33G Aquascape – Photographed with 13mm lens

Dialing it back a bit only 2mm to 13mm makes a lot of difference. You can see the distortion is not quite so profound, albeit still present, and the warping of the hill itself is less so. Whether or not this is a good thing or not is up to you.

33G Aquascape – Photographed with 17mm lens

Now, jumping to 17mm the lines are much more natural but you still get a good amount of depth. Notice how there’s less and less reflection as the angle gets narrower. In the first shot, you get nearly the entire grouping of Rotala rotundifolia whereas as 17mm we only see the tops.

33G Aquascape – Photographed with 50mm lens

Finally, jumping all the way up to 50mm it almost looks like a totally different aquascape compared to the 11mm shot. There’s barely a foreground to speak of and the mound itself is compressed. The lack of depth is profound. This further demonstrates how important the photography aspect of aquascaping to ensure that you’re capturing the right version of the scape that you want to share with the world. I’d be very interested to hear what you’re personal favorite is of the photos above in the comment section.

]]>http://www.guitarfish.org/2015/09/09/its-a-about-perspective/feed5http://www.guitarfish.org/2015/09/09/its-a-about-perspective33G Aquascape – Rolling Alonghttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Guitarfish/~3/mwxeWnSQ3HM/33g-aquascape-rolling-along
http://www.guitarfish.org/2015/08/31/33g-aquascape-rolling-along#respondTue, 01 Sep 2015 00:04:14 +0000http://www.guitarfish.org/?p=1616The 33G Aquascape continues to do well. Since my June update, I&#8217;ve added some Bucephalandra motleyana from Aquaflora, which I think add a nice alternative to the usually Anubias barterii var. nana that have been used for years in these kinds of scapes. The weeping moss is doing a nice job consuming the wood/rocks just enough to cover [...]The 33G Aquascape continues to do well. Since my June update, I’ve added some Bucephalandra motleyana from Aquaflora, which I think add a nice alternative to the usually Anubias barterii var. nana that have been used for years in these kinds of scapes. The weeping moss is doing a nice job consuming the wood/rocks just enough to cover up the gaps.

I’ve reduced the amount of Riccia fluitans as it can kind of go crazy. I’m going back and forth between leaving a more erratic grouping of Rotala rotundifola like in the picture above, versus trimming it in a more manicured way. I kind of like the chaotic look. Your comments are invited!

]]>http://www.guitarfish.org/2015/08/31/33g-aquascape-rolling-along/feed0http://www.guitarfish.org/2015/08/31/33g-aquascape-rolling-alongVideo from INSIDE my 75Ghttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Guitarfish/~3/3XiYyHL8vNA/video-from-inside-my-75g
http://www.guitarfish.org/2015/08/07/video-from-inside-my-75g#respondFri, 07 Aug 2015 15:04:12 +0000http://www.guitarfish.org/?p=1612I was playing around with a GoPro this weekend, and took this short video from inside my 75G. I imagine this is what it would look like to swim in the tank.I was playing around with a GoPro this weekend, and took this short video from inside my 75G. I imagine this is what it would look like to swim in the tank.

]]>http://www.guitarfish.org/2015/08/07/video-from-inside-my-75g/feed0http://www.guitarfish.org/2015/08/07/video-from-inside-my-75gRIP Takashi Amanohttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Guitarfish/~3/h3YaSjQz_Ws/rip-takashi-amano
http://www.guitarfish.org/2015/08/06/rip-takashi-amano#respondThu, 06 Aug 2015 10:52:33 +0000http://www.guitarfish.org/?p=1609Words cannot describe the loss the planted aquarium community has suffered this week with the passing of Takashi Amano. He was a force in the hobby, and his Nature Aquarium series of books were my own personal inspiration for getting into aquatic plants and aquascaping. I had the pleasure to meet him at the 2004 [...]Words cannot describe the loss the planted aquarium community has suffered this week with the passing of Takashi Amano. He was a force in the hobby, and his Nature Aquarium series of books were my own personal inspiration for getting into aquatic plants and aquascaping. I had the pleasure to meet him at the 2004 and 2008 Aquatic Gardener’s Association conventions, and he had a presence about him that commanded respect, but as the picture below illustrates, he wasn’t afraid to have fun as well. We should all continue aquascaping in his memory. Rest in peace, Mr. Amano.